FBI crime report shows Athens area leads state in thefts

The latest crime statistics from the Federal Bureau of Investigation proved to be a mixed bag for Athens -- found lowest in violent crime for Georgia, but highest in property crimes.

The FBI's annual Uniform Crime Report, which was released last week, contains crime statistics for about 250 metropolitan areas in the country, as well as regional and national numbers. The report included crime statistics for five metropolitan areas in Georgia: Albany, Athens, Columbus, Macon and Savannah.

While the report can provide some indication of where a metropolitan area ranks among its peers, it is far from a complete listing. There are several conspicuous omissions in the report, such as Atlanta and Augusta, which distort potential statewide comparisons. A possible explanation for being excluded from the report is if a city doesn't meet the FBI's reporting criteria, if the data showed discrepancies or if the data wasn't received before the FBI's deadline.

By the numbers

Violent crimes reported per 100,000 people in Georgia metropolitan areas in 2000:

1. Savannah, 689

2. Albany, 497.5

3. Macon, 469.8

4. Columbus, 469.6

5. Athens, 343.6

National average: 506.1

Georgia average: 504.7

Property crimes reported per 100,000 people in Georgia metropolitan areas in 2000:

1. Athens, 5,600.3

2. Macon, 5,566.7

3. Savannah, 5,145.2

4. Albany, 4,993.4

5. Columbus, 4,446.5

National average: 3,617.9

Georgia average: 4,246.4

Source: FBI's 2000 Uniform Crime Report

Among the five Georgia metropolitan areas listed, Athens had the lowest crime rates per 100,000 residents for murder (4.7), robbery (122) and aggravated assault (190.4). Athens also had the second lowest rates for forcible rape (26.4) and burglary (904.8).

In contrast, the Athens metropolitan area, which includes Clarke, Madison and Oconee counties, had the highest theft rate for the state at 4,382.4 larcenies per 100,000 residents. Last year, Athens had almost 1,000 thefts more than the next closest metro area, Albany. Our rate is also 900 more than the national average and 1,400 more than the state average.

The comparatively low violent crime rates in Athens is a positive sign. Crime rates can influence whether families and businesses want to locate in the Athens area; Athens' numbers certainly shouldn't work against it when it comes to future growth. The crime rates can also affect the University of Georgia and its attempts to recruit top-rated students. If we were leading the state in violent crime, for instance, many parents wouldn't be interested in sending their children to study here.

While the community shouldn't be willing to tolerate even one murder, rape or assault, we also can't ignore the value of having fewer of these violent crimes than other areas.

Even though property crimes don't elicit the same kind of concern as violent crimes, local residents shouldn't dismiss the fact that Athens leads the state in thefts and has a higher burglary rate than the state average. These crimes do impact the quality of life in Athens and they can have severe economic implications for businesses and residents. Because insurance rates are based, in part, on an area's crime history, the people who own property in the Athens metropolitan area are likely paying higher insurance premiums because of our property crime rate.

We applaud the Athens-Clarke Police Department for their efforts to keep violent crime rates in our community among the lowest in the state. Also, we urge local law enforcement agencies to step up programs to educate residents and businesses on preventing future property crimes.